The complicated early nomenclature of Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops, and the watercolours examined by John Latham

2016·4.9 MB·English

by  Justin J F J Jansen

Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 28 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
The complicated early nomenclature of Yellow-
tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops, and the
watercolours examined by John Latham
by Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe
Received 9 April 2015
Summary.—Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops was described under
four different English names and three Latin binomials by Latham (1801a,b,
1822). Until now, these names were usually thought to be based solely on four
watercolours produced during the early years of settlement in Australia, one of
which was established by Sharpe (1906) as the 'type' of Latham's 'Black-eyed
Thrush' and ‘Tardus melanops', the original binomial of Lichenostomus melanops.
We review the history of the watercolours copied by Latham, and the complicated
nomenclature of L. melanops. The first watercolour of L. melanops that Latham
inscribed 'Turdus melanops' was included in a different set of watercolours to the
'Watling' set reviewed by Sharpe (1906). A specimen of L. melanops >200 years
old in the Paris museum acquired from Joseph Banks was also compared to the
original descriptions. Conditions simulating those under which Latham may have
examined the specimen or another could possibly explain the anomalous rusty-
brown coloration Latham ascribed to his 'Black-eyed Thrush', rather than the olive-
green typical of L. melanops.
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops, one of two species in the genus
Lichenostomus, is a locally common resident of south-east Australia. Latham provided three
different descriptions in English and three Latin binomials for this species in 1801, including
'Black-eyed Thrush' and Turdus melanops (Latham 1801a,b), the nomenclatorial progenitor
of L. melanops, as well as a fourth English name and description (Latham 1822). These were
based on four illustrations produced in Australia during the early years of the Port Jackson
settlement at Sydney Cove, New South Wales. Sharpe (1906) incorrectly identified the
original illustration examined by Latham on which he based his 'Black-eyed Thrush' and
Turdus melanops. Sharpe's designation is doubly incorrect: not only did he use the wrong
set of watercolours to designate the 'type', but designation of a 'type' from a watercolour is
not now permitted by the International code of zoological nomenclature (ICZN 1999), although
it was customary at the time.
In 1802, Vieillot described a specimen of L. melanops recently received by the Museum
d'Histoire Naturelle (now the Museum National d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; MNHN). In
2013, while researching the Baudin expedition (1800-04), JJFJJ fortuitously located the
specimen of L. melanops (mounted with the skull in situ) described by Vieillot.
To identify which illustrations Latham used for his four named species, we examined all
of the watercolours annotated and copied by Latham. We tried to understand why Latham
failed to recognise that all were of the same species, and we examined the coloration of the
watercolours. The Paris specimen could have been seen by Latham while describing the
species, and is discussed in this paper.
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 29 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
The different sets of watercolours
The Watling watercolours.— Four of the six first known depictions of L. melanops are
included in a set of 488 watercolours produced during the early years of the Port Jackson
settlement (established 1788) and today bound in a single volume held in the Natural
History Museum (NHMUK), London. Known as the Watling collection (henceforth
Watling), the paintings depict Australian birds (271 watercolours), mammals (16), reptiles
(nine), fish (15), molluscs (17), arthropods (13) and plants (59), as well as landscapes.
Aboriginal peoples and their implements (88). Originally, the collection comprised 513
watercolours, but 25 watercolours (all birds) are lost (Hindwood 1970). The collection was
brought back to London in July 1795 by John White, Surgeon-General of the Port Jackson
settlement (White, 1790, Nelson 1998).
The Watling volume is one of several collections of natural history artwork produced
during the early years of the Port Jackson settlement (Hindwood 1964, Calaby 1999, Olsen
2001, Annemaat 2014). Other volumes, held in Sydney, Canberra and Wellington, were
produced by First Fleet naval personnel John Hunter and George Raper (Calaby 1999,
Hindwood 1964). The John Hunter volume in the Mitchell Library, State Library of New
South Wales, Sydney, includes four paintings by John Lewin (a far more skilful bird artist
than any other at Port Jackson: Neville 2012), one of which also depicts L. melanops.
The Watling volume includes the work of at least three artists, but only Thomas
Watling signed his paintings (121); the identity of the others is unknown, although the
most prolific, identified by several stylistic traits, is known as the Tort Jackson Painter'
(Calaby 1999). The Watling watercolours are variously annotated by White, Watling and
others (Calaby 1999). L. melanops is depicted in four watercolours in Watling: nos. 121, 122,
133 and 156 in Latham's ms list (Sharpe 1906, Hindwood 1970). Only one of these, no. 122,
is signed by Watling.
The Lambert watercolours. —In March 1797, White lent a substantial portion (c.80%) of
his watercolours to Aylmer Bourke Lambert, a founder and Vice-President of the Linnaean
Society. Lambert apparently still had White's watercolours in his possession in April 1805
(Nelson 1998). While in his possession, Lambert had the paintings copied (by unknown
artists) and bound into three volumes (henceforth Lambert). According to Calaby (1999),
Lambert was referring to these copies rather than the originals in 1805. Comprising 225
watercolours, all unsigned, of birds (214), mammals (ten) and a view of Norfolk Island,
most were copies of those in Watling (Hindwood 1970). The Lambert volumes also include
22 watercolours of birds with no equivalent in Watling, which may be copies of the 25
watercolours now missing from Watling.
Following Lambert's death in April 1842, the volumes were acquired by Edward
Stanley, the 13th Earl of Derby, who had the volumes rebound with the title 'New South
Wales Drawings' on their spines. The volumes were held in the library of Stanley's
Knowsley estate in Lancashire until June 2011, when they were sold to the Mitchell Library,
where they remain (C. Fisher in Hit. 2013). Three other volumes of watercolours depicting
fish, birds and plants by Port Jackson artists purchased at the Lambert sale by Lord Derby
also formed part of the 2011 sale; another noteworthy volume in the Mitchell Library,
acquired in 1929, comprises 100 watercolours of Australian birds dating to c.1790 and
attributed to the anonymous 'Sydney Bird Painter'. One also depicts L. melanops. Copies of
the four Watling watercolours depicting L. melanops are in the second volume of Lambert,
hereafter Lambert (2) nos. 10, 40, 60 and 65.
The Latham watercolours. — After Lambert had copies made of the original watercolours
in Watling, Lambert lent the copies to John Latham. Latham received the Lambert
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 30 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
i- {-/•/'(cid:9632): t~ i.ii.
.s'/.,,.
Figure 1. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus
melanops, Library, Natural History Museum, London,
UK (© NHMUK, London). The 'Watling' watercolour
used by 'Lambert'.
Figure 2. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus
melanops, Mitchell Library, State Library of New
South Wales, Sydney (© Mitchell Library). The
'Lambert' watercolour copy of 'Watling' (= Lambert
(2) no. 64, presumably).
Figure 3. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus
melanops, Library, Natural History Museum, London,
UK (Justin J. F. J. Jansen, © NHMUK, London). The
'Latham' watercolour.
watercolours sometime before 12 October 1799, and returned them on 26 January 1800, as
evidenced by a letter preserved with the volumes (Hindwood 1970): 'I hope you will receive
back safe your valuable Books of Drawings, which I mean to forward by to-morrow's
Coach, which is at the Bell Savage, Ludgate Hill. I have according to my promise given a
Name to each Bird, altho' I have been at much loss in respect to the genus of many of them
- indeed, even the sizes in some cases have not been noticed any more than the Manners,
independent of many circumstances not possible to be ascertained by delineations, unless
aided by accurate descriptions, and which, had the Painter been at all versed in ornithology,
he could not have failed to have remarked in writing. I should therefore think it not unlikely
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 31 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
Figure 4. Yellow-tufted Fioneyeater Lichenostomus melanops,
Museum National d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (Justin J.
F. J. Jansen, © MNHN). Photographed with overhead
fluorescent lighting for illumination. Note olive-green
coloration of upperparts.
Figure 5. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops,
Museum National d'Flistoire naturelle, Paris (Justin J. F. J.
Jansen, © MNHN). Photographed with green backdrop,
using small halogen lamps positioned either side of
specimen. Note rusty-brown coloration of upperparts.
that in case the specimens themselves should hereafter come before You and Me, we might
alter our previous opinion. I do not suppose that any other Notes in writing can be got at
besides those already in My possession, but if so, I should advise you to take advantage of
it. New subjects will no doubt from Time to Time arrive from New Holland, and in such
cases you will do well to take the advantage of procuring Drawings, at least of them, and
You cannot do Me a greater favour than in granting Me a View of them' (Mathews 1931).
Latham identified the birds in Lambert and inscribed their names in pencil near the
lower margins of the pages (Mathews 1931, contra Hindwood 1970). As Lambert had
done with Watling, Latham had copies made of the watercolours in Lambert (i.e. second-
generation copies) for his own personal use (Latham 1781-1832, Hindwood 1970). Like
Watling, Latham's collection of 888 watercolours (which also includes copies of paintings
from other sources in addition to those in Lambert) are now housed at NHMUK and
were seen by JJFJJ in January 2016 (Latham 1781-1832). Although Latham listed the birds
depicted in the Watling watercolours (see below), he apparently never listed his own
watercolours, or if he did, the list is now lost. The Latham watercolours (Latham 1781-1832)
include two of L. melanops, one (PI. 399) inscribed 'Black-eyed Thrush' (Fig. 3), the other (PL
482) as 'Black-eared Thrush'. The former is an exact copy of Lambert (2) no. 65 / Watling
no. 121 (Fig. 1), but Latham's 'Black-eared Thrush' is not copied from any known First Fleet
source, nor did Latham ever describe a 'Black-eared Thrush' in his publications, perhaps
due to his annotation of 'Doubtful' under the illustration.
Latham evidently did not examine the original watercolours in Watling prior to
publication of his second Supplement. On 12 October 1799, Latham wrote to Thomas
Pennant: 'Mr. White, The Surgeon, brought over very many drawings as well as new Birds,
but I am sorry to say that altho' I sent out to Him every instruction I could, as also a copy
of my synopsis as a Present, he has never offered me yet inspection of his drawings...
However, I think it may not be useless to inform you that I have since seen Copies of all
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 32 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
Mr White's Birds in Mr Lambert's Hands, ye drawings being lent to him by Mr White & I
should think you might avail yourself of them by applying to Mr Lambert...' (Nelson 1998).
Although information included in Latham's second Supplement was taken from
notes inscribed on Watling's watercolours, as Latham had not seen the original Watling
watercolours before then, it appears that Lambert had at least some of the notes transcribed
and sent them to Latham with the copied watercolours, as Latham's letter of 28 January
1800 quoted above suggests: 'indeed, even the sizes in some cases have not been noticed
any more than the Manners', indicating that sizes and habits were transcribed for others,
while 'I do not suppose any other Notes in writing can be got at besides those already in
my possession' shows Latham copied the notes for his own use. Some of this information
(known only from these watercolours according to Hindwood 1970) was not used by
Latham until he published his General history of birds (1821-28). Moreover, despite his
assertion to Pennant that he had seen copies of all of White's drawings, he failed to describe
some taxa in the second Supplement, illustrations of which are missing from Lambert but
present in Watling.
That Latham saw the original watercolours in Watling at some point post-1801,
however, is proven by a list in his handwriting, identifying the birds in Watling, included
with the Watling volume when sold to the NHMUK. The sequence of this list and the
watercolours in Watling correspond to that in Latham's second Supplement, indicating that
Latham re-arranged the original sequence of the Watling watercolours. Latham's list also
noted the page numbers on which the birds are described in the second Supplement, with
the watercolours in Watling being annotated by Latham with the names and same page
numbers from the second Supplement.
Several birds in Watling and Lambert are unidentifiable, and Latham misidentified
a number of birds in his ms list of Watling birds. For example, he identified Watling nos.
112-113 as the 'Yellow-winged Creeper'. But, while no. 112 corresponds (albeit imperfectly)
with his description of the 'Yellow-winged Creeper' in Latham (1801a), identified in
Sharpe (1906) and Hindwood (1970) as Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus, no.
113 depicts an unidentifiable bird with red-edged primaries. Similarly, Latham identified
four watercolours, Watling nos. 115-118, as the 'Yellow-eared Creeper', but while no.
115 corresponds (again imperfectly) with his description of the 'Yellow-eared Creeper' in
Latham (1801a), identified in Sharpe (1906) and Hindwood (1970) as Lewin's Honeyeater
Meliphaga lewinii, nos. 117-118 (no. 116 is missing from Watling) are identified in Sharpe
(1906) and Hindwood (1970) as Fuscous Honeyeater Ptilotula fusca and Yellow-faced
Honeyeater Caligavis chrysops, respectively.
The depictions of Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Latham's 'Bearded Thrush’. — On the first of the Lambert watercolours depicting L.
melanops, Lambert (2), no. 10, copied from Watling no. 156, Latham inscribed: 'Muscic.
australis. White Journ. A. p. 239' (i.e. 'Muscicjapa] australis, White Journ[al] AJppendix]
p[age] 239').
In the appendix to White's Journal of a voyage to New South Wales (1790), George Shaw,
curator of the Leverian Museum, described and gave the Latin binomial 'Motacilla australis'
to the bird depicted by Sarah Stone in PI. 28, an Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis.
Latham evidently misidentified the L. melanops depicted in Lambert (2) no. 10 with the
E. australis depicted by Stone, and moreover re-assigned it to Muscicapa. Latham later
re-identified the original Watling watercolour, no. 156, on his ms list and on the watercolour
itself, as the 'Bearded Thrush.' He did not include a description of 'Bearded Thrush' in
© 2016 Tire Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 33 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
Latham (18018,1)), but it did appear in Latham (1822); however, it never received a Latin
binomial.
Latham’s ’Yellow-tufted Flycatcher'.—On the second of the Lambert watercolours
depicting L. melanops, Lambert (2), no. 40, copied from Watling no. 122, Lambert inscribed:
'Muscic. novae Hollandiae La. Ind. orn. 2 p. 478. 43' (i.e. 'Muscic[apa] novae Hollandiae
La[tham] Ind[ex] orn[ithologicus] [volume] 2, p[age] 478, [number] 43').
In his Index ornithologicus (1790), Latham identified his 'Muscicapa novae Hollandiae'
with the 'Yellow Eared Fly Catcher' depicted in PL 10 in White (1790), and Latham also
based his description in Latham (1801a: 215) on the same plate (again by Sarah Stone), which
apparently depicts Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops. The latter, however,
received its specific epithet from Latham, who, based on Lambert (2), no. 46 / Watling no.
134, described the Black-cheeked Warbler in Latham (1801a: 248) and its Latin equivalent
Sylvia chrysops in Latham (1801b: liv)! Because Latham's 'Muscicapa novaehollandiae' was
deemed to be of indeterminate identification (despite general agreement that PI. 10 in
White 1790 depicts L. chrysops), ICZN suppressed the name novaehollandiae (Hemming 1956,
Paynter 1967).
Latham subsequently re-identified the original Watling watercolour, no. 122, from
which Lambert (2), no. 40 was copied, as the 'Black-eyed Thrush.' However, Watling no.
122 evidently served as the basis for Latham's description of the 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher'
(Latham 1801a: 215-216) and 'Muscicapa auricomis' (Latham 1801b: xlix). On the reverse
of Watling no. 122 there is a note, the edges of which were lost when the drawing was
cropped. The full transcription, written on a separate sheet of paper now mounted below
the watercolour, reads:
'Tire Native name of this very common Bird in New South Wales is Darwang. It is a
very lively Bird, and by us called the yellow eared Flycatcher. The Tongue is feathered at
the tip for Sucking Honey, which it is very fond of. It builds its Nest on the pensile branch
of some trees or low shrubs, as I suppose to avoid the opossum, flying Squirrel, Lizard,
Guana, and Birds and Mice. The yellow at the Ears are Tufts of Feathers longer than those
on the other part of the Head.'
Latham (1801a: 215-216) included these notes (apparently acquired, as noted above,
through an intermediary) in his description of the 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher':
'This is considerably larger than the Hedge Sparrow: bill and legs black: tongue bristly
at the tip: the general colour of the plumage on the upperparts is olive green: the crown, and
all beneath, from the chin, yellow: through the eyes, from the gape, a large patch of black;
at the back part of which, on the ears, a tuft of yellow, which tuft consists of feathers longer
than the others: the outer tail feathers yellow.'
'Inhabits New Holland, where it is called Darwang, and is a common species. The
English named it, as well as the last, the Yellow-eared Flycatcher: is said to feed principally
on honey, which it obtains from the flowers, by means of its feathery tongue: makes the
nest on the extreme pendant branches of low trees or shrubs, and by this means escapes
the plunder of various smaller quadrupeds, who are unable to reach the nest with safety.
Whether this is allied to the last, I will not take upon me to ascertain.'
Latham's 'Mustachoe Flycatcher'.—On the third Lambert watercolour depicting
L. melanops, Lambert (2), no. 60, copied from Watling no. 133, Latham inscribed 'Sylvia
mystacea'. Unlike the previous two depictions, Latham did not associate this bird with
one depicted in White (1790). Instead, Latham described it as a new taxon, 'Mustachoe
Flycatcher' (Latham 1801a: 221) with the binomial 'Muscicapa mystacea' (Latham 1801b:
li). Between examining the Lambert watercolour and publication of the Supplementum,
Latham re-assigned the bird from the warblers (Sylvia) to flycatchers (Muscicapa). Latham
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Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 34 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
subsequently inscribed 'Mustachoe Flycatcher' on the original Watling watercolour, no.
133. Latham's description reads:
'Length from eight to nine inches: bill slender; black: legs black: tongue fringed at the
tip: general colour of the plumage pale green; but the under parts from chin to vent greenish
yellow; the last most conspicuous on the chin and breast: from the gape springs a black
band, which grows broader, and passes under the eye to the hind neck, where it is fringed
with yellow. Inhabits New South Wales; it is a pugnacious bird, attacking others, especially
the smaller Parakeets.'
Latham's 'Black-eyed Thrush'. — The fourth Lambert watercolour depicting L. melanops
(Figs. 1-2), Lambert (2), no. 65, copied from Watling no. 121, was annotated 'Turdus
melanops' by Latham. Again, he considered this to be a new taxon, which Latham named
'Black-eyed Thrush' (Latham 1801a: 181) and Turdus melanops (Latham 1801b: xl). Latham's
description reads: 'Length eight inches: bill stout, slightly curved; tongue bristly at the tip:
the crown of the head and under parts of the body are yellow; the forehead mottled with
dusky: nape, wings, and tail rusty brown, the two last margined with yellow: from the gape
springs a black streak growing broader, surrounding the eye, and descending on each side
below it, growing more narrow; just within at the bottom part is a small spot of yellow: tail
moderately long; the wings reach only to the base of it: bills and legs brownish. Inhabits
New South Wales.'
Latham added two annotations in pencil above the illustration on Watling no. 121:
'Black-eyed Thrush Sup. 2. 181' and 'Lambert Drawing II. 65.' A third annotation in ink in
a different hand reads: 'Black-eyed Thrush - Latham / Syn - Suppt 2. p. 131. / Natural Size'.
The same author also annotated Watling no. 122 'Black-eyed Thrush, Latham Syn - Suppt.
2, p. [number cropped]' and transcribed the note quoted above.
Vieillot's 'L'heorotaire a oreilles jaunes'.—In 1802, Vieillot described a specimen of
L. melanops as 'L'heorotaire a oreilles jaunes' that had 'only recently' (depuis pen) reached
MNHN (Vieillot 1802:156). In 2013, while researching the Baudin expedition (1800-04), JJFJJ
fortuitously found the specimen of L. melanops, mounted with its skull in situ, described by
Vieillot. On the underside of the mount was the following inscription: 'Australie - Botany
Bay. - Sir Banks -10160 - Ptilotis auricornis [sic] - Lath.'
The specimen's provenance is confirmed by a set of five acquisition books in MNF1N
dating from c.1854. In book four, it is recorded that specimen MNHN A.C. 10160 (recently
re-registered as MNHN-ZO-2013-174), identified as a male 'Ptilotis auricornis. Lath.' was
acquired from 'Sir J. Banks.' Although both the base inscription and acquisition book entry
were written after 1837 (when Ptilotis, now a junior synonym of Lichenostomus, was erected
by Swainson), MNHN ZO-2013-174 was evidently acquired by MNHN c.1800, indicating
that the data were taken from a subsequently discarded old label. But even that label would
not have been original, present on MNHN-ZO-2013-74 when it arrived at the museum (i.e.
it would have been prepared years later). JJFJJ is unaware of any pre-1810 bird specimen
with original labels: no Cook, Baudin, Bullock, Temminck, Lichtenstein, Bonelli or Leverian
Museum birds examined by him bear such. The precise origin, collector and date of
collection of MNHN ZO-2013-174 are consequently unknown.
In addition to MNHN ZO-2013-174, Banks evidently donated other specimens
to MNHN, including a Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla (Jansen 2015), mentioned by
Levaillant (1801: 99), two Pied Currawongs Strepera graculina, also mentioned by Levaillant
(1806: 67), and Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus (de Beaufort 1966). The G.
pusilla is still at MNHN, where it was recently found by JJFJJ. Banks apparently received
these specimens, like those of other Australian taxa (including Superb Lyrebird Menura
novaehollandiae, Spotted Quail-thrush Cinclosoma punctatum and Platypus Ornithorhynchus
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 35 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
anatinus), post-1792, when he divested himself of most, or perhaps all, of the specimens in
his possession (Medway 1981, Jansen & Roe 2013).
MNHN ZO-2013-174 was identified with 'Muscicapa auricomis' (Latham 1801b: xlix),
rather than 'Turdus melanops' (Latham 1801b: xl), presumably due to the agreement
between Latham's description of the olive-green coloration of the 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher'
and the similar coloration of MNHN ZO-2013-174.
Discussion
Although the four watercolours in the second volume of Lambert, nos. 10, 40, 60 and 65,
all depict L. melanops, Latham ascribed them four different binomials and assigned them to
three different genera, Muscicapa, Sylvia and Turdus; in Latham (1801b), he placed them all
in Muscicapa and Turdus. Two of his identifications, of taxa described by Shaw and depicted
in White (1790), were erroneous. Latham later inscribed three different English names to the
four Watling watercolours of L. melanops: 'Black-eyed Thrush', 'Mustachoe Flycatcher' and
'Bearded Thrush', and used the note on the reverse of Watling no. 122 in his description
of the 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher' in Latham (1801a). He employed three binomials in
Latham (1801b): Turdus melanops, Muscicapa auricomis and Muscicapa mystacea, with melanops
appearing first (and thus having priority) in Latham (1801b), despite its appearing last in
the Lambert series.
Despite the overall similarity in coloration of the four watercolours depicting L. melanops
in Lambert, Latham was evidently persuaded by differences between them (due in part to
the varying skill of the artists) into believing they represented species in different genera.
For example, in Lambert (2), no. 60, identified by Latham as 'Sylvia mystacea', copied from
Watling no. 133, the artist extended the black facial mask into a long, broad stripe tipped by
an upswept yellow 'moustache', while in Lambert (2), no, 40, copied from Watling no. 122,
identified by Latham as 'Muscicapa novae Hollandiae', the mask is truncated and the bird
has a long yellow ear-tuft. In Lambert (2), no. 65, copied from Watling no. 121, identified
by Latham as 'Turdus melanops', the mask extends like a teardrop on the neck-sides, with
a spot of yellow at the tip.
Latham (1801a) described the nape, wings and tail of his 'Black-eyed Thrush' (= 'Turdus
melanops' in Lambert) as 'rusty brown', while the upperparts of 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher'
(= 'Muscicapa novae Hollandiae' in Lambert) were 'olive green', as they are in life in L.
melanops. Yet Latham later identified both Watling nos. 121-122 as the 'Black-eyed Thrush',
rather than the seemingly more appropriate 'Yellow-tufted Flycatcher'.
How to explain this apparent anomaly? Two clues suggest an answer. As noted
above, Latham had a copy made of Lambert (2) no. 65 for his own collection. Comparison
of Watling no. 121, Lambert (2) no. 65 and PL 399 in Latham (1781-1832) shows a shift in
coloration between the original and first- and second-generation copies. In Watling no.
121, the upperparts are dark greyish olive-green above and pale yellowish grey below; in
Lambert (2) no. 65, the overall coloration is brighter and the upperparts olive-brown, while
in Latham's copy, the upperparts are brown and underparts greenish yellow. In Watling
no. 121 and Lambert (2) no. 65, the crown is greenish yellow and the chin bright yellow,
but in Latham's copy, the crown and chin are the same greenish yellow as the rest of the
underparts. This indicates that, instead of Lambert (2) no. 65, Latham used his own copy of
the latter to describe the 'Black-eyed Thrush'.
The other clue was provided by Banks' specimen in Paris. In June 2012, JJFJJ
photographed MNHN-ZO-2013-174 in MNHN's underground storage facility, the
'zootheque', using a Panasonic DMC-TZ7 digital camera and the basement's overhead
fluorescent lighting (Fig. 4). The greyish-green coloration of MNHN-ZO-2013-174 in these
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 36 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
photographs agrees both with Vieillot's description of the specimen and the olive-green
plumage of L. melanops under natural light.
However, in April 2013, JJFJJ again photographed MNHN-ZO-2013-174, but with very
different results. This time, he used an Olympus SP600UZ digital camera and photographed
the specimen against a green backdrop, using small halogen lamps sited either side of the
specimen. The mix of overhead fluorescent lighting and lateral halogen lamps (combined
with the green backdrop) resulted in a dramatic difference, turning the background from
green to beige and the specimen's upperparts from greenish grey to rusty brown (Fig. 5).
The photographs (which are unaltered) match Latham's description of the 'Black-eyed
Thrush' in having the nape, wings and tail rusty brown, crown and underparts yellow,
rectrices fringed yellow, and bill and legs brownish.
Although fluorescent lighting would not be invented until >100 years after Latham's
description (and halogen lighting >50 years later still), the remarkable congruence in the
rusty-brown plumage described by Latham and photographed by JJFJJ suggest that Latham
initially examined Banks' specimen of L. melanops under conditions in some way similar
to those in JJFJJ's 2013 photographs, explaining his anomalous description of the 'Black-
eyed Thrush'. The conditions concerned are, of course, unknown; although candlelight
is a possibility, no photographs of MNHN-ZO-2013-174 were taken in such conditions,
or other tests conducted. Irrespective of the above, the two sets of photographs provide
a remarkable demonstration of the significance of lighting in assessing the accuracy of
Latham's descriptions, as well as those by other authors in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Latham made extensive use of Banks' collection in describing new species and obtained
many specimens for his own collection from Banks, as noted by Latham himself (1781), and
included many descriptions of birds in Banks' collection in his General synopsis (1781-85)
and subsequent supplements (Latham 1787, 1801a,b). While in Banks' possession, MNHN-
ZO-2013-174 would have been available to Latham to examine. It is informative that
Latham described the tail of 'Turdus melanops' as rusty brown; however, in Watling no.
121 and Lambert and Latham's copies, only the pale ventral side of the tail is visible. That
Watling no. 121, the original watercolour, shows only the undertail, proves this was not a
simple copying error in the copies examined by Latham. That Latham described the dorsal
coloration suggests he had another reference to hand.
The Banks provenance of MNHN-ZO-2013-174 and the strikingly similar pose of this
specimen to the birds depicted in Watling no. 121 and Lambert (2) no. 65 (head uptilted,
bill open and tongue exposed) indicate it was posed to resemble these watercolours when
mounted. As the Watling watercolours arrived in England in 1795 and Vieillot (1802)
included a plate of MNHN-ZO-2013-174, it must have been mounted in England between
1795 and c.1800, when Latham was preparing his second Supplement, with MNHN-
ZO-2013-174 arriving in Paris around the same time that the Supplement was published,
in 1801. That MNHN-ZO-2013-174 was posed to resemble the watercolours that Latham
inscribed 'Turdus melanops' and 'Black-eyed Thrush' indicates that MNHN-ZO-2013-174
was identified as a 'Turdus melanops'. As such, Latham could have used MNHN-
ZO-2013-174 while it was in Banks's possession to describe 'Turdus melanops'.
Conclusion
Sharpe (1906) identified the Watling watercolours as the basis for, and hence 'types'
of, Latham's descriptions in Latham (1801a,b). However, Latham examined the Lambert
watercolours first, pre-1801, and subsequently annotated the Watling watercolours after
the publication of Latham (1801a,b). Moreover, it is apparent that Latham used the copy
of Lambert (2) no. 65 in his own collection (Latham 1781-1832, PI. 399) to describe 'Turdus
© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club
Justin J. F. J. Jansen & Richard S. Roe 37 Bull. B.O.C. 2016 136(1)
melanops'. However, according to ICZN (1999) an illustration cannot be designated as
the type specimen (Art. 72.5.6), only the specimen on which the description was based.
Therefore, the Latham watercolour has no type status.
The evidence that MNHN-ZO-2013-174 might represent a syntype of L. melanops is
highly circumstantial. Although there is no doubt that Latham examined the Lambert
and Watling watercolours, it cannot be proven that he examined MNHN-ZO-2013-174,
however, given that it came from Banks and is similar to the watercolours, it is quite
possible that he did. Moreover, although the photographs of MNHN-ZO-2013-174 taken
under halogen lighting suggest an explanation for Latham's anomalous description of rusty-
brown plumage for 'Turdus melanops', they do not prove that lighting was responsible
for the errors in his description. Further testing under various light conditions might be
informative, but is unlikely to yield definitive answers. Although we do not advocate any
type status for MNHN-ZO-2013-174, hopefully we have demonstrated its significance in the
early taxonomic history of the species.
Acknowledgements
JJFJJ is grateful to his hosts at MNHN: Patrick Bousses, Anne Previato and Claire Voisin. We are grateful to
Andrew B. Black, Clemency T. Fisher, Guy M. Kirwan, Wayne Longmore, Mary K. LeCroy, Dick Schodde,
Bert Theunissen and Roland van der Vliet for comments that greatly improved the manuscript. Paul Martyn
Cooper helped JJFJJ locate the Latham watercolours at NFLMUK. Nomenclature in this paper was reviewed
by the Working Group on Avian Nomenclature of the International Ornithologists' Union.
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© 2016 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2016 British Ornithologists' Club